Q: I’m using denture cleaning tablets to clean my night guards. I’m not sure if this is the best approach. I’m getting tired of buying tablets every few months and I’m wondering if there’s a more “natural” way of doing this. Your thoughts?
A: I used to recommend denture cleaning tablets, such as Efferdent and Polident, for cleaning Invisalign aligners, dentures, and retainers. I used to use Efferdent myself to clean my Invisalign aligners.
These denture cleaning tablets work very well at cleaning but I’ve recently changed my opinion of these products.
The active ingredient pursulfate is my major concern. The FDA has asked the manufacturers of Fixodent, Polident, Efferdent, and other denture cleaners to change the product labeling to include warnings about the risks of allergic reactions which could be caused by persulfates. The FDA also asked the manufacturers to consider alternate ingredients to replace persulfate.
Symptoms of allergic reactions to persulfates used in denture and retainer cleansers include…
- Tissue Damage
- Rashes, Hives or Irritation
- Gum Tenderness
- Breathing Problems
- Low Blood Pressure
If accidentally ingested, these denture cleansers can wreak havoc on the body. Picture this scenario: An elderly person wakes up late at night with an upset stomach and confuses an Efferdent package with an Alka Seltzer package, rips it open and dissolves it into a full glass of drinking water. He wakes up in the emergency room hours later convulsing and gasping for air.
Accidental consumption of denture and retainer cleansers can include…
- Abdominal Pain
- Burns
- Bleaching of tissue
- Blood in the Urine
- Internal Bleeding
- Vomiting
- Breathing Problems
- Low Blood Pressure
- Seizures
- Death
Bottom line: If you drank the stuff, it could send you to the Emergency Room. So why let your dental appliance, something that sits in your mouth for 8 hours a day or more, marinate in it? Many of these devices are porous and can hold the persulfate against the tissues inside the mouth. Even if used as directed, I do not think it is wise to use these products to clean their dentures, sleep apnea devices, retainers, Invisalign aligners, or anything else placed in the mouth.
Here’s the fix
To clean your night guard (or other dental device), keep it soaking in water when it is not in your mouth and lightly brush it with an electric toothbrush and toothpaste as needed. I’m currently experimenting with other materials and will let you know in the future with a feature article as what to use for cleaning all of our dental devices.
Mark Burhenne DDS
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What about using Alka Seltzer or generic to clean nightguards?
I do not recommend alka seltzer to clean your dental appliances. Alka seltzer contains sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, which are both okay in appropriate concentrations – the problem is the aspirin.
Many people are allergic to aspirin. It has pharmacological action. It can reduce inflammation or thin your blood. People can get aspirin burns in their mouth. It is a drug with effects that you may or may not need – why expose yourself to it on a daily basis and just to clean your nightguards? Even though very little may be absorbed, it is unnecessary exposure on a daily basis.
Use a squirt of castile soap and baking soda in water to soak your nightguards – it will do the best job of cleaning and the alkalinity in the baking soda will help protect against gum disease and bad breath.
Mark Burhenne DDS
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